Listowel Connection

This blog is a personal take on Listowel, Co. Kerry. I am writing for anyone anywhere with a Listowel connection but especially for sons and daughters of Listowel who find themselves far from home. Contact me at listowelconnection@gmail.com

Tag: Garvey’s Super Valu

Listowel Tidy Towns win, Super Valu, Teampall Bán, a Tidy Town project

By

On October 11, 2018

In Uncategorized

Our Heroes


The jubilant Listowel Tidy Town Committee pose with their trophies after their well deserved success.

<<<<<<<



A Poem of Tribute by local poet, Mary McElligott


LISTOWEL

Thank you all in ‘Tidy Towns’,

For doing this for us,

Working early or late at night,

Ye did it without fuss.

We all reaped the benefits,

‘She’s a Beauty to behold’,

‘Love Listowel’, it’s easy,

As ye won for her a Gold.

Thank you for your determination,

For the long hours ye all put in, 

For being passionate about yer home town,

With a belief that ye could win.

Writers’ week and the races,

Put Listowel on the map,

And now ‘IRELANDS MOST BEAUTIFUL TOWN’,

Yet another accolade in her cap.

Be proud of yer achievement,

It will be enjoyed by young and old

Come visit us down here in Listowel,

And walk on our streets of Gold.

<<<<<<<<



Tributes from the diaspora



Since Listowel’s big win in the Tidy Town competition I have been posting photographs of the town looking splendid.  Here are a small few of the email messages I received.



Congratulations to lovely Listowel on winning the All-Ireland Tidy Town.  The good news must put some spring in the step of the John B. statue, and everyone else.



Is’nt it fantastic, so proud of that bunch.


Mary thank you sincerely for such photographic detail of our beautiful Listowel. Now through you, we and our diaspora know how blessed we are to live in Listowel and we are so grateful to you for “ broadcasting”  this globally, as you have a world-wide readership. 

Well done listowel tidy towns winner well deserved. I am so proud of you all and the town!

Thanks for the tour of Lovely Listowel 

My thanks and congratulations to everyone associated with the Tidy Towns Overall and Small Town Awards!

The Tidy Towns win is a timely milestone to say thanks to you also Mary for your great work for Listowel.

You have a great eye for a photo too.

<<<<<





Garveys Super Valu and Trant’s Pharmacy Convent Street




<<<<<<


Teampall Bán, Listowel’s Famine graveyard



As I walked on the Ballybunion road I passed the entrance to the Sive Walk on my left.


On my right was the old Lartigue bridge

The Tidy Town sign will need to be updated.




This is the entrance to Teampall Bán.

This little statue on the pillar looks like the last supper.



The Stations of the Cross are in a circle around the chapel. The burial ground is a well kept lawn. It’s a lovely peaceful prayerful place.

<<<<<<



Breast Cancer Flag Day



I saw these photos on the Cancer Society’s Facebook page. Local ladies were out in force on Friday October 5 2018 selling pink badges and ribbons.

Super Valu opening, Nostalgia and an 80s Junior Infant class

By

On May 8, 2017

In Uncategorized

Seán Murphy, Blackwater Camera Club for The Rebel Cup

<<<<<<<


Garvey’s Super Valu Opening



My granddaughters came to Listowel for their Kerry holidays during their Easter break. While they were with me we spent a great morning at the Super Valu official opening of their refurbished shop. Stars of Kerry football and Dancing with the Stars were in attendance, face painting, free footballs, singing and dancing were the order of the morning.

The scene at Super Valu on April 20th 2017

Radio Kerry was broadcasting from the store. The free magnets and mugs were long gone by 11.00 when we got there.

The man of the moment: Aidan O’Mahoney, retired Kerry footballer and Dancing with the Stars winner for 2017 posed with the children.

 Des Cahill was a big hit with SuperValu staff.

No, he didn’t do a Hughie Maughan job on the fake tan. He was just back from holidays he said.

 Stylish Eilish was there, looking resplendent, as usual.

The girls spotted a lull in the queue for face painting and they were lined up before I knew it.

Paul was making sure that as many people as possible got to meet the star.

Meanwhile Rosaleen was doing a great job on Róisín’s face.

3 happy girls.

Dominick Scanlon was interviewing Des Cahill.

I grabbed him for a minute for a photo.

They met a Star as well.

This young footballer, Shane Enright, was infinitely patient, signing the free footballs and little boys’ jerseys.

The girls were lucky enough to secure some of the free footballs, but they were not inflated and as you can imagine, Super Valu staff were not really anxious to have footballs being kicked around the shop. So I called in to JK Sports next door where the lovely Edel sorted us out.

Three happy girls, very grateful to Edel for saving the day.

Homeward bound with the loot.

<<<<<<<



Nostalgia 



I read this extract from a book which is now out of print. It describes well why so many of my blog followers enjoy a taste of how it used to be at home in days gone by.

Fr. Pat Carroll

Scenes and memories: scenes
from places I know; memories of people I love. The quiet country herein
described still remains−the flat land, the white road, the little town, the
river, and the hill’s crest. The people who appear and speak for a brief period
are grown very old, or gone away. What is written, then, is written as a record
of what was, and what, for me, will never be again: today’s memories of a
yesterday back in Ireland when the gray dew was on the clover and the cuckoo
called from the blossomed alder. Maybe certain scenes and memories here set
down will recall to you also your springtime in the Old Land, with dear, kindly
people all around you, the wide, white Shannon a few flat fields away, and the
sea’s sweet breath coming from Kerry Head.”

─P.J.C., in Round
About Home (1914)

<<<<<<


Junior Infants who are now Young Ladies



Clodagh O’Sullivan unearthed this old photo of her Junior Infants class.

Guerins/Garveys, Greenlawn and Dromin House

By

On February 5, 2013

In Uncategorized

Thirteen years ago today’s Garvey’s SuperValu was Guerin’s Londis. I took some photographs as the changes took place and here they are.

Guerins in 2000

The site is cleared
Construction underway
Taking shape
August 2003

<<<<<<<<<<
Greenlawn in 2000
Greenlawn today

>>>>>>

Today’s  big house is Dromin House. I took the information from Vincent Carmody’s recent book

Dromin House

Dromin House was built for Lord William Fitzmaurice. The construction
replaced an earlier house. It was started in 1661 and completed in 1668.
Fitzmaurice, 20th Baron of Kerry (1633-1697) succeeded his father in
1660.  The house was surrounded by gardens and orchards.  The original walled in
orchard/ garden section now contain two bungalows built in the 1970s.

The Raymond family  leased the
property at  first from Dame Deborah
Fitzmaurice in 1690. They then bought it and remained in continuing ownership
through good times and bad until the death of the last of the direct male line,
James (Jim) Raymond in 1965. His wife Letitia Muriel (nee Smith) remained in
the house until her death in 1968 when it became the property of Mr. Donavan
Hadley.

 Dromin house and the surrounding
19 acres was bought by Sean and Liz Ryan(nee Heaphy) in 1999. Over the
following 3 years they carried out extensive renovations and improvements.  



<<<<<





If you are looking for a great night out, Vincent and Jessica tell me that a swinging night is promised in The Listowel Arms on Friday night. I’m alerting you in plenty of time so that you get your outfit in order. Come as any of your favourite 50’s icons.

<<<<

Jer sent me word of the passing of this multi- talented lady.

The late Margaret Doody Scully with Gabriel Fitzmaurice in October 2012

Margaret Doody-Scully, of Farrihy, Broadford, died 13th January 2013 at the Mid Western Regional Hospital. A native of Feohanagh and previously of Kilfinny, she was an active member of the Castlemahon History Society. In October 2012  Margaret published her second book, Inside Looking Out, which was a collection of her poetry on the history, folklore and natural beauty of West Limerick. The 200-page book launched by Gabriel Fitzmaurice with 165 poems about Broadford,  Dromcollogher, Feohanagh, Killeedy, Newcastle West and Knockfierna to name a few In 2005 she published her first book, a history of the church in Feohanagh-Castlemahon parish titled From the Bog to the Bishop. Margaret helped with  material on Castlemahon parish for the Limerick Diocesan Heritage project. She was camogie player and long distance runner  also, in the late 1960s she represented Ireland in senior ladies cross-country. Margaret Doody-Scully was a  contributor to Limerick’s Live95fm on farming matters and on ‘In the County’ with John Prendergast.

<<<<<<<

Chilling historical fact:  During WW2,  over 100,000 German prisoners were taken at Stalingrad. Only 5,000 would ever return home in 1955 after years of forced labour.

<<<<<<

Kerryman at The Super Bowl

Page 2 of 2

Previous

Powered by WordPress & Theme by Anders Norén